Let’s try and bring back adverts with style

EntertainmentStreamingLet’s try and bring back adverts with styleJon Bentley is worried that as long as ads continue to be ‘weaponised’, we’ll never get to see any good ones againWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Jon Bentley is worried that as long as ads continue to be ‘weaponised’, we’ll never get to see any good ones again

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Back in the heyday of broadcast TV, people often used to say the ads were better than the programmes. And they were often right. Masterly crafted mini-stories, like theHovis Boy on the Bikeclimbing up Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, orPaula Hamiltondiscarding her possessions after a break-up only to draw the line at her reliable Golf GTI, are unforgettable treasures.

The 2000s saw creative masterpieces like Honda’s Cog andSonyBravia’s Balls, and the tradition has continued nearly to the present day in the shape of those eagerly awaited Christmas ads, notably from John Lewis. But these days ads don’t seem there to be enjoyed. Rather, they’re expressly designed to make you pay more for thebest streaming servicesubscription, usually to banish them altogether. The going rate on YouTube for example is from £12 a month. On Amazon Prime it’s £2.99 extra and on Netflix a minimum premium of £6.

The whole system now appears designed to make ads as unpleasant and tedious as possible. They pop up suddenly in the middle of the action, or after you’ve paused for a break. Instead of enjoying a show of creativity, you’re glued to a corner of the screen watching for the ‘skip’ button to appear, or the seconds to count down, for your chosen show to resume.

Netflix and other streaming companies offer cheaper packages with ads(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix price options

Netflix and other streaming companies offer cheaper packages with ads

(Image credit: Netflix)

It’s tempting to think that fragmenting audiences, static or declining ad revenues, more diverse consumer tastes or shorter attention spans have fuelled this, and that the change isn’t easily reversible, but I’m not so sure.

Advertising as pollution you have to pay to get rid of doesn’t help anybody. It seems incompatible with the goals of advertisers, crushing to creativity, and boring for the viewer. I think there can and should be a change in attitude and there are some signs it may be starting to happen.

According to a marketing expert I met recently, a viewer who’s willing to sit through ads is actually more valuable toNetflixthan someone who chooses the Standard or Premium package without the ads. Surely it would be better to have fewer, better-crafted and carefully positioned commercials.

Sony Bravia Bouncy Balls Full HD 1080p - YouTubeWatch On

Sony Bravia Bouncy Balls Full HD 1080p - YouTube

There are signs Netflix is starting to organise its ad tier accordingly. The tier now reaches over 40 million subscribers globally and Advertising President Amy Reinhard revealed at a presentation earlier this year that the company was bringing its ‘advertising technology’ in-house. “We’re being incredibly strategic about how we present ads because we want our members to have a phenomenal experience,” she said.

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There could also be a halo effect on traditional broadcasters, and the commercials they show would improve as well. Maybe even YouTube, whose ads can feel particularly clumsy and disruptive, will deliver a better experience. Ads would then be back to where they once were – the scrumptious filling in a sandwich of great content.

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